#opening chapter

[slayingfiction]

Crafting The Perfect Opening

Don’t forget our Grand Opening Giveaway starts February 1st/24 on Tumblr, Instagram and slayingfiction.com! You don’t want to miss it! Happy Writing!

How to Write a Compelling First Chapter in Your Novel Hello, aspiring novelists! The first chapter of your novel is crucial. It’s the gateway to your story’s world, the first impression on your readers, and the hook that keeps them turning the pages. Crafting a compelling first chapter is an art, and today, we’re diving into the secrets of making your opening chapter not just good, but

unforgettable.

Start with a Bang, Not a Whimper

Your opening lines are the most powerful tool in your arsenal. They should be intriguing, clear, and set the tone for your entire novel. Whether it’s an action-packed scene, a puzzling mystery, or an emotional narrative, start with something that immediately grabs the reader’s attention.

Introduce Your Main Character

Early in the first chapter, introduce your protagonist. Give your readers someone to root for, empathize with, or be intrigued by. This doesn’t mean you have to reveal everything about them right away, but offer enough to build a connection with your audience.

Establish the Setting

The setting is more than just a backdrop; it’s a character in its own right. Use your first chapter to give a vivid sense of place. Whether it’s a bustling city or a quiet village, the setting can set the mood and give context to your story.

Set Up the Conflict

A novel is nothing without conflict. Your first chapter should hint at or directly introduce the central conflict of your story. It’s what will drive your plot and keep readers engaged, wondering what happens next.

Create Questions and Curiosity

Leave your readers with questions. This doesn’t mean you should be vague or confusing, but rather, plant seeds of curiosity. Make them wonder about the characters’ pasts, the nature of the conflict, or the direction of the story.

Establish Your Voice

Your narrative voice should be distinct and consistent from the start. Whether you’re writing in first person, third person, or even second person, the voice should fit the story and be engaging to your readers.

Avoid Information Overload

Resist the urge to explain everything in the first chapter. Exposition is important, but too much can overwhelm or bore your readers. Feed them information gradually and naturally as your story unfolds.

End with a Hook

Your first chapter should end with a hook that makes it impossible for the reader to not turn the page. This could be a cliffhanger, a surprising revelation, or a deepening of the story’s mystery.

Conclusion

Writing the first chapter of your novel is both a challenge and an opportunity. It’s your chance to make a great first impression and set the stage for the story to unfold. Use these tips to craft an opening chapter that captivates, intrigues, and promises an unforgettable journey for your readers.

Remember, every great novel starts with a single chapter. Make yours count!

[its-wabby-stuff]

Leo is Dead…or at least he’s supposed to be?

[adj-thoughts]

Writing a captivating opening chapter 

Introducing engaging characters- Your characters should be having a intriguing personality why? because when readers start reading the first chapter and doesn't find it engrossing, they just stop reading the book so if you start the book interesting then the reader will keep on reading it.

example- In a crime thriller there was a detective named Maya Gates She’s a seasoned investigator haunted by the unsolved murder of her sister. Her determination is to crack the mystery case forward by the hint she got a prophecy that her sister had made.

Make a problem- After creating a intriguing aura or personality the character should also be having a problem or poses questions that also have a resolution this ignites curiosity and keeps reader turning pages.

Set the Scene- Describe the problem so vividly and engrossing that the reader also feels present in the scene.

example-  Imagine a historical romance set in 19th-century London. The opening chapter describes the gas lit streets, the opulent ballroom of Lady Pembroke’s mansion, and the scent of roses mingling with heavy smoke. Readers step into this vividly painted world.

Critical Gamble- Clearly convey what’s at risk for your characters. Whether it’s love, survival, or a quest for justice, ensure readers to understand the sacrifice.

example-  In a dystopian sci-fi novel, humanity faces extinction due to a deadly virus. The protagonist, Dr. Alex Turner, discovers a hidden research facility with a potential cure. The sacrifices are life and death, and readers are invested in Alex’s quest.

Foreshadow- Means that an indication of something that will happen in the future within the story. By foreshadowing, writers create anticipation and intrigue, allowing readers to sense that significant events or outcomes are on the horizon.

example- Juliet see 's something strange looking like animal later she finds out that it was the savior of the world.

Thank you for reading!

Regards adj-thoughts

[r0bilargreenleaf]

WIP of Rise of the DarkWalker

Chapter One

Dust, kicked into the air by the horses’ hooves, hung in the still air until the caged wagon passed through it, coating the prisoners with grey. Carter Blake stood at the back of the wagon, hands on the bars, watching the train of dark elves behind them. His head unmoving, he pretended to be unaware of their journey.

The other prisoners sat, or leaned, against one another, jostled by the ruts in the dirt road. One of the elves rode closer and shouted at him.

“What’re you staring at, human?”

Carter stared through him and refused to answer.

The rider drew his sword and pointed behind his prisoner. “Get back there, or I’ll run you through.”

When Carter continued to ignore him, the elf jabbed his sword into his stomach, piercing the ragged, heavily patched leather armor. As blood trickled down his belly where the point nicked his flesh, Carter tensed minutely.

Another elf rode up behind the first and slapped the back of his head. When he whipped around, the second glowered. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m teaching this human to mind his place.”

“Harming the merchandise isn’t your place. Get in the back of the line.”

Chastened, the dark elf turned his horse to the back. The other one stared at Carter for a moment before also riding back.

Carter released the tension in his muscles. ‘That was close. Thought for sure I was going to have to blow my cover.’

 The rocking of the wagon stopped as the dirt road became paved. Carter noted the stricken trees, bare of leaves, strangled by the pink Tianarri moss of the Abyss. Spikes of Stygian grass stabbed through the rotten patches of native grass. The corruption of the demonic realm grew more evident the further the wagon rolled. The prisoners who either were able, or still cared enough, crowded around the bars of the cage, staring wide-eyed at the coming end of their journey. Carter remained in place as the approaching scent of decayed vanilla informed him the wagon drew close to L’Arc demons.

After the wagon halted, a stunningly beautiful and statuesque woman with milky skin, raven hair and batwings sprouting from her back strode up to the back. She flicked her hand at Carter who stared back impassively, noting her blackened gold plate cuirass. When he didn’t budge, she hissed at him.

“Move, meat.”

He released the bars and took a solitary step back.

The demon sneered at him and unlocked the bars. The entire back dropped down, forming a ramp from the back of the wagon. A misstep would cost someone a broken ankle, or worse.

“Do you need an engraved invitation? Get down here, meat.”

Without blinking, Carter slowly, heavily strode down the makeshift ramp until he stood before the demon. She glared up at him.

“Get over there with the rest of the meat. Mistress Haavastaad will be eager to crush your insolence.”

Again, moving with deliberation, he moved to where the demon directed. After a couple of steps, he felt the demon’s hand on his back, between his shoulders, forcing him to move faster.

“Move with alacrity, meat.”

He pressed into the ground hard with his left foot and pivoted toward it. The L’Arc, focused on hurrying him, overbalanced and stumbled passed before she went sprawling. As other demons laughed, the fallen L’Arc leaped to her feet and made to run him through with her serrated blade.

A blue-skinned hand locked around the demon’s hand, stopping her strike cold.

“This will not do.”

Carter glanced over to see the lithe frame of the demon who saved him. Horns sprouted from her temples and wrapped around her head like a crown. Orange hair flowed down her back, over her ebony dress.

“You should have more care when attacking the Patchwork Knight, Eyiness.” Silver eyes locked on Carter. “Isn’t that right, Sir Lavitz?”

Carter tilted his head in a bow. “Haavstaad, Tyrant of Knowledge.”

[goomyloid]

real dialogue from the game

[hinamie]

morning glory

[blueboyluca]

“When I first heard it, from a dog trainer who knew her behavioral science, it was a stunning moment. I remember where I was standing, what block of Brooklyn’s streets. It was like holding a piece of polished obsidian in the hand, feeling its weight and irreducibility. And its fathomless blackness. Punishment is reinforcing to the punisher. Of course. It fit the science, and it also fit the hidden memories stored in a deeply buried, rusty lockbox inside me. The people who walked down the street arbitrarily compressing their dogs’ tracheas, to which the poor beasts could only submit in uncomprehending misery; the parents who slapped their crying toddlers for the crime of being tired or hungry: These were not aberrantly malevolent villains. They were not doing what they did because they thought it was right, or even because it worked very well. They were simply caught in the same feedback loop in which all behavior is made. Their spasms of delivering small torments relieved their frustration and gave the impression of momentum toward a solution. Most potently, it immediately stopped the behavior. No matter that the effect probably won’t last: the reinforcer—the silence or the cessation of the annoyance—was exquisitely timed. Now. Boy does that feel good.”

— Melissa Holbrook Pierson, The Secret History of Kindness (2015)

[spoldhamauthor]

Carnie's Wisdom: Opening Chapter Taster - by S P Oldham

‘Evil began with man. Never let anyone tell you different. Evil was born when man was born and it’s been growing ever since. It’s damn near all grown up now.’

From ‘The Wisdom of Carnie.’

He had known when the apocalypse had struck; had known the very minute it happened, even before he threw open his bedroom curtains to look outside. It was not the noise that woke him. Not the screaming or crying, or any of the giveaway chaos of rioting. No; it was a change to the very atmosphere itself. As if the air passing through his nostrils was all at once loaded with potential; salty-tasting, like blood.

Out there on the street, a scene of bloody mayhem had played itself out. Carnie greeted it with open arms, grinning so wide it nearly split his face in two. Front doors had been flung open and left that way. Windows were smashed both inwards and out, shards of glass glittering evilly in the bright morning sun.

Fences were breached, hedges plundered, bins thrown aside, their black-bag guts spilling out onto the pavement. Cars were piled up in the road, parked askew in a line that stretched down the street; bonnet to boot like a broken and crumpled vehicular accordion. A horn was blaring; one loud, continuous wail. Carnie couldn’t see into the car; he had to picture the driver flung prone over the steering wheel, battered forehead resting on the horn, never to rise from it again. A double-decker bus was at the far end of the street, just within his range of sight. It was teetering from side to side on its wheels, threatening to topple with every sway. People were engaging in fistfights for who knew what reasons; probably none at all. Men, women and even children fighting in a frenzied, almost hysterical fashion. Long nails raking down bare skin, sharp teeth biting chunks out of exposed flesh. Blood spattering, teeth-spitting, skin-splicing fighting. Like crazed, bare-knuckled boxers. Serious business. No punches pulled.

It seemed a couple of teenage boys had tried to make their getaway on bikes, only to come to a skidding halt when they met the traffic jam. Twisted bike frames rested upon their prone bodies; bones obviously broken, heads clearly cracked even from this distance. Carnie gave a delighted shriek; they were drawing a crowd. He watched keenly, interest piqued. Even with broken, mangled limbs, the boys were trying to pull the bikes further over themselves, like shields; as if those flimsy, contorted frames could prevent the inevitable.

Carnie felt a sudden thrill of excitement; his body light with the sheer amazement of it. He had predicted for years that this day would come. No one would listen; no one cared. All they did was label him mad and try to force drugs down his throat. Well who was laughing now, eh?

The crowd approaching the boys picked up the pace. The horrified faces of the teenagers were suddenly eclipsed by the bent backs of a dozen or more attackers closing in on them, obscuring them from view. Carnie’s fist hit the window in disappointment. There were so many bodies upon the teens now that it was impossible to see what was happening to them.

His view spoiled, he turned away from the window. His jeans lay on the floor alongside his sweater, discarded the previous evening. He pulled them on, tying his trainers hurriedly, casting a longing look at his wardrobe. All in good time, Carnie; all in good time.

He opened his bedroom door and stepped out onto the landing. The frantic voices of his aging mother and his equally ancient stepfather came to him from downstairs. Major, their little Jack Russell, was barking hysterically. He heard his stepfather silence the dog with a sharp command, sending it to its bed.

There was a brief silence, then the sound of grunting and moaning. They were evidently trying to move something heavy.

Irritation flashed through Carnie’s mind. He was disgusted at their increasing weakness; repelled by their slowness. They had always been good for nothing.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08JMDM5HH https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JMDM5HH

Cover illustration by Viergacht on SelfPubBookCovers

[lnk-and-lnspiration]

How to Write an Engaging Opening Chapter: Hooking Readers from the Start

The opening chapter of your book is your chance to captivate readers, set the tone for your story, and hook them from the very beginning. An engaging opening chapter grabs readers’ attention, entices them to keep reading, and establishes the foundation for a compelling narrative. In this article, we will explore effective strategies to write an engaging opening chapter that leaves a lasting…

[lilybug-02]

Pain is a great motivator…

Part 26 || First || Previous || Next

—Full Series—

Meanwhile Toriel:

(Loud noises don't wake her up usually.)

Artist note: I’m so proud of this :))) I know it’s a lot of dialogue and reading, but dialogue is grueling work for me. I’m glad with the art and for the amount of pages I made in such a relatively short time span -w- page 5 was super fun to work on. A lot of blood, sweat, and hours here... :) The backgrounds were a big bore tbh, but I finished them! Yippie!

[sentinens]

My piece for @klapollo-minibang from the first chapter of my partner @smolgirlowo's awesome fic, Breaking up Is Hard to (Un)Do, linked here! The first chapter is up so go check it out :]] (plsplspls you will enjoy it so much)

I'll be posting more pieces accompanying the next chapters in the following weeks ^^

[cloudabserk]

daniel molloy you FREAK!!!

[joy-girl]

One Piece 1130 // Loki and Monkey D. Luffy

[maesonc-artistic-adventures]

Based on Chapt 13 of @cutebutalsostabby ‘s fanfic “Big Oof 2022, aka Whumptober”

“‘You,’ Hyrule declared furiously, ‘are an absolute, complete dumbass.’

Lying prone on the ground with a deeply pissed-off mage looming above his head, it was rather difficult for Warriors to argue the point. He gave a weak thumbs up and croaked back, ‘Yep.’

Hyrule shook his head disbelievingly and announced, ‘You and Legend give me shit for this all the time, but you’re both equally as bad.’

Warriors nodded. ‘Very true,’ he rasped peaceably. ‘Be sure to learn from our bad examples.’”

————————————

Hyrule and Warrior’s dynamic is so excellent and few do it as well as this fic!

[shadowednavi]

it's been awhile since I've worked on this project! I've had this verse finished for months but didn't want to post it on its own, and instead wait until the whole thing is strung together to show the final result all at once. But I'm tired of holding onto it, so here is one section of my deltarune animation! My art tag has other clips if anyone is interested in seeing more~

(song: "The Hymn of Axciom" by Vienna Teng)

[s-aint-elmo]

Falin has been nearsighted since she was little, and has a habit of squinting when she's looking at things. —Delicious in Dungeon World Guide: The Adventurer's Bible

she should have been at the optometrist's

(ID in alt text)